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AMARC Europe meets the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities

Published by Anonymous on Fri, 06/15/2012 - 16:51

Brussels, June 15th, 2012. On May 31st, AMARC Europe participated to the 35th EPRA (European Platform of Regulatory Authorities) meeting, which took place in Portorož, Slovenia, on the invitation of the Post and Electronic Communication Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (APEK). A special focus has been devoted to the working group about “Local and Community Media” coordinated by Bernard Dubuisson from the Belgian CSA. “It has been a excellent occasion to demonstrate the social benefits and the diversity of our sector, while highlighting the challenges presented to community radio due to restrictive legislation and regulation”, commented Sally Galiana, Vice President of AMARC Europe, who took the floor in order to explain why the sector is crucial in order to establish a truly pluralistic media environment.

Among the regulatory bodies, many institutions coming from central and eastern European countries, where the sector is still weak or completely non-existent (like for instance Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine), participated to the session. The Polish representative highlighted the recent public consultation launched among all the actors of social communication within the country, while the best practice model has been explained by the Irish representative. Some common actions between AMARC and EPRA have been discussed with the aim of enhancing a mutual support for the independence of regulatory bodies.

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), brings together a network of more than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community media stakeholders in more than 130 countries. The main global impact of AMARC since its creation in 1983, has been to accompany and support the establishment of a worldwide community radio sector that has democratized the media sector. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighbourhood levels and defends and promotes the interests of the community radio movement through solidarity, networking and cooperation.